Rail-joint chair.



A. G. LIEBMANN.

RAIL JOINT CHAIR. APPLICATION TILED AUG. 27, 1913.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTCiITHO WASHINGT'ON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST G. IJIEBMANN, OF BUTTE, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR TO VIGNOLES RAIL CHAIRCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RAIL-JOINT CHAIR.

inaaaea.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST Gr. LIEB- MANN, citizen of the United States,residing at Butte, in the county of Silverbow and State of Montana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joint Chairs, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway track appliance and particularly torail chairs.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a chair soconstructed that it may be used at rail joints for holding the joinedends of. rails and will accommodate the usual angle bars or fish platesmounted at the rail joint.

A further object of the invention therefore is to provide a chair whichwill act to brace joined rails and which will provide for lateral andvertical adjustment of the rail without any loosening or readjustment ofthe primary fastenings of the chair to the tie or the joined rail ends.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail chair of thischaracter so designed that the proper support will be attained at thejoint independent of re-spiking ties or joining of rails, which chaircan be cheaply made of rolled steel.

A further object of the invention is the provision in connection with achair of the character described, of spikes so formed as to provide forvertical adjustment of the joints upon shims and lateral adjustment forgage of track.

A further object of the invention is the provision in connection with achair and a peculiar form of screw spike, of means whereby the railjoint may be either laterally or vertically adjusted with relation tothe bed plate of the chair without any disturbance of the primaryfastenings of the chair to the tie.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a tie, a rail thereon,and the improved chair applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe construction shown in Fig. 1, the rail being shown in section. Fig.3 is an end elevation of the-construction shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to these drawings A. designates a tie and B a rail. The tiemay be of any suitable form but is illustrated as an ordinary wood tie.The rail is illustrated as of standard cross section.

Mounted upon the upper face of the tie and having a width preferablyequal thereto, is a bed plate 2, this bed plate having at its endsoppositely disposed vertical webs 3, these webs forming abutments. Thewebs 3 extend inwardly from the ends of the bed plate a predetermineddistance and the in ner ends of the webs are spaced from each other adistance greater than the width of the base of the rail joint. Each webis provided with an opening 4 for the passage of an adjusting wedge andwith an opening 5 for the passage of a compression bolt. It will benoted that the base plate with its abutments is T-shaped in crosssection and that his bed plate or body portion of the chair may bedesigned from ordinary structural steel having a T-shape in crosssection.

Disposed on each side of the rail B is an angle bar or fish platedesignated C. As illustrated, each angle bar C has a basal portion Dwhich engages beneath the base of the rail B, these basal portions ofthe opposed angle bars very nearly meeting. This is a common andordinary form of rail joint, and further description is unnecessaryexcept to say that preferably and as illustrated, these angle bars fitbetween the head and base flange of the rail and that the upper faces ofthe base flanges of the angle bars are formed with shoulders cl.

Disposed one on each side of the webs or abutments 3 are the fishingangle braces designated 6. Each of these braces comprises a vertical web7, as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, which is formed with inwardlyturned flanges 8 at its upper and lower mar ins, these flanges engagingagainst the face of the corresponding abutment 3. The material of eachof the fishing angle braces is outwardly turned at the base of theportion 7 as at 9. The vertical portion 7 is longer than the angularlyextending'portion 9 as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the verticalportion or web of each fishing angle brace extends over and bears uponthe upper face of the base of the adjacent angle bar. These projectingportions of the webs 7 are scarfed or otherwise formed, as at 10, so asto engage snugly with an have the same contour as the base of theadjacent angle bar. The particular form of this scarf will, of course,depend upon the cross sectional form of the angle bar. The base of eachfishing angle brace is longitudinally slotted as at 11 for the passageof a screw spike, designated 12. These screw spikes have a peculiarform. Each spike has a screw threaded shank 13 which is adapted to passthrough a perfora tion in the base plate and into the tie, and the upperportion of the screw spike is threaded as at 14: for engagement withnuts 15. At the meeting point of the screw threads 14 with the screwthreads 13 each screw spike is formed with a shoulder 16 which normallybears upon the upper face of the plate 2. The upper end of each screwspike is formed with a many-sided head 17 whereby the screw spikes maybe turned.

Each of the fishing angle braces 6 is slotted, at 18, for the passage ofan adjusting wedge 19 and passing through the brace and through theperforation 5 in the adjacent web or abutment 3 is a compression bolt20, one end of which is headed and the other end of which is screwthreaded for engagement by a nut 21. Preferably the wedges 19 are lockedin position by means of cotter pins or bolts 22. It will be seen fromFig. 3 that by having the flanges 8 bear against the side faces of thewebs or abutments 3, the braces are spaced sufliciently apart to receivebetween them the head of one of the bolts 23 which hold the fish platesor angle bars to the rail. In case the chair is used between joints,this space would contain a wood bearing block. While this rail chair maybe used with or without a shim, there is illustrated a shim 24: disposedbetween the upper face of the bed plate and the basal portion of theangle bars. Shims of various heights or no shim at all, it will beunderstood, may be used. In practical use the rail with its attachedangle bars is first set down in the space between the inner ends of thewebs or abutments 3 and properly adjusted therein. The fishing anglebraces 6 are then disposed one on each side of each web 3. These fishingangle braces are forced in against the rail or joined rails by means ofthe wedges 19 and when in position the wedges are prop erly locked bybolts or cotter pins 22 and the braces compressed against the webs 3 bymeans of the compression bolts 20. Vhen it is desired to elevate therail the jamb nuts 15 are loosened and a shim is disposed beneath thebases of the angle bars at the junction of the rail ends. The braces arelikewise lifted, the openings in the webs 3 being large enough to permitlateral and vertical movement of the compression bolts, and the braceslocked in position by means heretofore described. It is obvious that byloosen ing the jamb nuts 15 and driving one wedge 19 in while drivingthe other wedge out, that the fishing angle braces, together with therail, may be laterally shifted so as to adjust the rail to gage. Theslots 11, of course, permit a lateral movement of these fishing anglebraces.

There is provided by the construction heretofore described, a securefastening for rail joints wherein the greater stability of the joint isattained and which allows for lateral and vertical adjustment withoutdisturbance of the primary fastenings of the chair to the tie andwithout the necessity of respiking the tie. Furthermore, the rail chairand its accompanying parts may be formed of rolled steel and thus thechair may be made relatively cheap. By the use of screw spikes havingthe peculiar form illustrated and described, I provide for a rigidattachment of the bed plate to the tie but permit of a preciseadjustment of the railbraces to suit the elevation or depression of therail or for widening and narrowing of gage.

By providing a plate having a relatively great area which rests upon theface of the tie, cutting or crushing of the tie by the rail jointdeflection is eliminated and by doing away with necessity of respikingthe life of the tie is greatly increased. Under these circumstances itis possible to use treated ties. Treated ties ordinarily are tooexpensive to use where the life of the tie is greatly shortened bycutting and crushing action and by the necessity of constant respiking.

It is to be particularly noted with regard to this chair that it bracesthe rail and joined rails against vertical and lateral thrust andagainst tipping thrust so that the rail or rail joints are securelyheld, the head of the rail bears upon the upper edges of the angle bars,the rail braces bear upon the entire extent of the angle bars andtherefore bear downward upon the full upper face of the base flange, andany tipping thrust that is transmitted to the rail braces will in turnbe transmitted to the vertical webs 3 which are of a design bestcalculated to resist this tipping thrust. The bolts 20 are designed tocompress the angle braces solidly against the vertical webs 3, therebymaking a thoroughly tight joint between the braces and webs and bracingthe vertical webs or abutments against warping or twisting strain. Theangular braces 6, therefore, not only brace the rail against any tippingstrain but brace the vertical webs against any outward deflection understress.

It is obvious that the chair may be used to support either joined railsor the rail between joints. p

In that this chair permits of a vertical and lateral adjustment of therail and yet provides for a solid fastening of the rail to the tie andfor the adjustment of the rail without the necessity of respiking orchange in the primary fastening, it conforms to the requirements laiddown in the final report of the Block Signal and Train Control Board ofthe Interstate Commerce Commission.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A. rail chair comprising a bed plate having an upstanding mediallydisposed abutment adjacent each end, said abutments being spaced fromeach other a distance greater than the width of a rail base, rail bracesdisposed parallel to and one on each side of each abutment, and meansfor adjusting said braces laterally with relation to the abutments.

2. A rail chair comprising a bed plate having upstanding abutmentsextending longitudinally of the bed plate, the inner ends of saidabutments being spaced from each other a distance greater than the widthof a rail base, rail braces disposed one on each side of each-abutmentand each having a basal portion extending at an angle to the body of thebrace, means for engaging the basal portion of the brace with the bedplate, and means whereby the rail braces may be laterally adjusted withrelation to the abutments and locked in their adjusted position.

3. A rail chair comprising a bed plate having a vertical abutment ateach end thereof, the abutments being spaced from each other a distancegreater than the Width of a rail base, rail braces disposed one on eachside of each abutment, the inner ends of said braces being adapted toextend over the base of a rail, each brace having an angularlyprojecting slotted basal portion, fastening members passing through saidslots and through the bed plate, and adjusting and locking wedgespassing through the braces and the abutments.

4.. In a rail chair, a bed plate having a seat of water width than thebase of a rail to permit the confronting ends of joined rails to beadjusted laterally and vertically with respect to the bed plate, a railbrace co-acting with the joined ends of the rails and a holding spikepassing through the rail brace and through the bed plate, said holdingspike having a shank formed with an enlarged portion intermediate itsends bearing upon the upper face of the bed plate and provided withscrew threads on either side of said enlarged portion, and nuts engagingthe threads on the upper portion of the shank and co-acting with therail brace, said shank being formed at its upper end with means wherebyit may be rotated.

5. A rail chair comprising a bed plate having upstanding abutmentsadjacent its ends, these abutments extending parallel to the length ofthe bed plate and being spaced from each other a distance greater thanthe width of a rail, rail braces disposed one on each side of eachabutment, each rail brace having a vertical body portion scarfed at itsinner end, the inner face of each brace being formed with inwardlyturned spaced flanges engaging the adjacent abutment, each brace havingan angularly extending basal portion, means for holding the basalportion of each brace in adjusted relation to the bed plate, and atension bolt passing through each abutment and through the correspondingrail braces.

6. A rail chair comprising a bed plate having upstanding abutmentsadjacent its ends, said abutments being spaced from each other adistance greater than the width of a rail base, rail braces disposed oneon each side of each abutment, each rail brace having a vertical bodyportion scarfed at its inner end, the inner face of each brace beingformed with inwardly turned spaced flanges bearing against the adjacentabutment, each brace having an angularly extending basal portion, meansfor holding the basal portion of each brace in adjusted relation to thebed plate, a tension bolt passing through each abutment and through thecorresponding rail braces, and wedges passing through each pair of railbraces and through the corre sponding abutments, whereby the rail bracesmay be shifted and held in a laterally adjusted position.

7. The combination with a supporting member, a rail, and angle barsdisposed on either side of the rail, of a bed plate extending beneaththe angle bars and the rail, rail braces mounted for lateral andvertical movement with respect to the bed plate and engaging against andover the angle bars, and means for holding the rail braces locked inadjusted position.

8. The combination with a supporting member, a rail, and angle barsdisposed on each side of the rail and extending over the base flangethereof, of a bed plate disposed between the supporting member and theangle bars, said bed plate having an upstanding abutment on each end,said abutments extending longitudinally of the bed plate and beingspaced from each other a distance greater than the width of a rail base,a pair of rail braces disposed one on each side of each abutment, saidbraces being angular, the vertical portions of the braces extendingparallel to the abutments and into engagement with the said angle barsand bearing over the base of the fish plate, the basal portion of eachof the rail braces being longitudinally slotted, fastening devicespassing through the slots in the basal portions of the angle bars andinto the supporting member, compression bolts passing through the railbraces and said abutments, and adjusting wedges passing through eachpair of rail braces and through the corresponding abutment.

9. In railway track construction, means for supporting the confrontingends of joined rails and permitting adjustment of said joined rails forsurface and gage.

10. In railway track construction, a bed plate, and means for supportingthe confronting ends of joined rails and permitting lateral and verticaladjustment of said joined rails with respect to the bed plate.

11. A rail chair including a bed plate having a seat and provided withupstanding abutments, means for securing the bed plate to asub-structure, and adjustable rail securing means cooperating with theabutments for holding the confronting ends of joined rails on the seator on a shim in different positions of lateral and vertical adjustmentwithout disturbing the bed plate or its securing means.

12. A rail chair including a bed plate having a seat, means for securingthe bed plate to a sub-structure, and adjustable rail securing meansadapted to cooperate with the confronting ends of joined rails, wherebythe joined rails may be held on the seat or on a shim in differentpositions of vertical and lateral adjustment with respect to the 1 bedplate.

13. A rail chair comprising a bed plate having an upstanding abutment,rail braces disposed one on each side of the abutment and each having abasalportion extending at an angle to the body of the brace, meansextending through the basal portion of each brace and engaging the bedplate for adjusting the braces vertically with respect to the bed plate,and means whereby the rail braces may be laterally adjusted and lockedin their adjusted position.

14. A rail chair including a bed plate having upstanding abutmentsspaced apart a distance greater than the base of a rail to permit therail to be shifted both laterally and vertically with respect to the bedplate, rail braces disposed one on each side of each abutment and eachhaving a basal portion extending at an angle to the body of the brace,means extending through the basal portion of 'each brace and engagingthe bed plate for holding the bed plate on a substructure and adjustingthe rail braces ver tically with respect to the abutments, and meansextending through the abutments and adjacent rail braces for shiftingsaid rail braces toward and away from the rail.

15. A rail chair for supporting joined rails in laterally and verticallyadjusted positions, including a bed plate having upstanding abutmentsadapted to receive the confronting ends of the joined rails betweenthem, and adjustable rail braces co-ac'ting with the abutments and therails at the confronting ends thereof for holding the joined rails inadjusted position.

16. The combination with a bed plate and abutments, of joined railsseated between the abutments and capable of being shifted laterally andvertically and secured at different elevations between the abutmentsupon the insertion or removal of a shim, and adjustable rail securingmeans cooperating with the abutments for securing the joined ends of therails in laterally and vertically shifted positions.

17. A rail chair including a bed plate having upstanding abutmentsspaced apart a distance greater than the width of a rail base to permitthe confronting ends of the joined rails to be adjusted laterally andvertically with respect to the bed plate, rail braces disposed onopposite sides of each abutment and having their inner ends cooperatingwith the rails on each side of the junction thereof and their outer endsprovided with lateral extensions, means extending through the extensionsof the rail brace and the bed plate for adjusting the rail bracesvertically with respect to the abutments and securing the bed plate to asubstructure, and means extending through the rail braces and abutmentsfor shifting the rail braces laterally to effect the lateral adjustmentof the joined rails.

18. In railway track construction, a chair, and means for supporting theconfronting ends of joined rails on the chair and permitting lateraladjustment of said joined rails for gage and vertical adjustment forsurface.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST Gr. LIEBMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

